Oil bath journal lubricator



Aug. 20, 1957 w. H. HELDSTAB 2,803,506

OIL BATH JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Filed Aug. 25, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Wa/fer H. He/ais fab.

a W A A TTOR/VEMS.

w. H. HELDSTAB 2,803,506

OIL BATH JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Aug. 20, 1 957 2 Sheets -Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 23, 1955 INVENTOR. Wa/fer H. He/dslab. BY &WMW Q ATTORNEYS).

E BATH JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Walter H. Heldstab, Junction City, Karts.

Application August 23, 1955, Serial No. 536,983

Claims. (Cl. 308-83) This invention relates to an oil bath journal lubricator, and more particularly to a lubricant reservoir or tray for railway car axle journals.

This invention is particularly designed for the prevention of hot-boxes in railway car axle journals caused usually by the use of waste packing in the journal boxes which is soaked with oil to lubricate the axles. One of the difficulties with oil soaked packing is that it is likely to congeal in cold weather causing the waste packing to roll and become displaced and frequently lodging under the journal bearing. This will wipe the lubricant from the journal and bearing causing the journal to become heated, this causing what is commonly called a hot-box.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a reservoir adapted to be inserted in the journal box which houses the journal axle of railway cars and in which an oil lubricant is contained so that the lower portion of the axle journal will run in the oil to prevent heating thereof; to provide a container for the lubricant having its rear end so constructed that it will fit snugly against the shoulder of the axle journal to retain the oil and prevent leakage from the container; to provide a container or reservoir of this character made of neoprene rubber or other flexible material; to provide a bearing surface in the rear end thereof with ribs for engaging the lower half of the outside of the axle journal; to provide steel spring wire reinforcement adjacent the bearing surface of said reservoir, to provide steel spring wire reinforcements transversely of the body of said reservoir to add strength to the reservoir and to maintain the rigidity thereof yet allow for flexibility; to provide means for suspending the tray or reservoir within the journal box; to provide means on the front end of the reservoir for maintaining the means against the bottom of the box and suspending the reservoir thereabove; to provide links on said means having latch means for locking the suspending means in working relation to the journal box; to provide a reservoir or tray having sufficient resiliency which may be inserted through the door openings of the journal box and closing of the lid of the openiu after the tray is locked in place; to provide a device of this character which may be readily inserted through the opening in the journal box without jacking the truck or removing any parts of the box, and to provide a device of this character economical to manufacture and eificient in operation.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention I have provided improved details of the structure, the preferred forms of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my lubri ant tray or reservoir.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a railway car journal box showing my improved lubricant tray therein.

Fig. 3 is a view partly in crosssection taken on a line 33, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on a line 4-4, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on a line 5-5, Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view particularly illustrating the locking of the metal straps to hold the tray suspended in the box.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a lubricant reservoir or tray adapted to be housed within a journal box 2 of a railway car truck. The journal box may be of any usual construction but generally includes an open end 3 having a cover or lid 4 hinged as indicated at 5 on lugs 6 of the journal box. The journal box includes a circular opening 7 for receiving an axle journal 8 of a wheel axle 9, the axle journal 8 extending into the journal box as is the usual practice. The journal box includes a dust guard bearing 10 formed between flanges 11 and 12 of the rear end of the journal box which engages a journal fillet or shoulder 13 between the wheel axle and the axle journal. The bearing is generally of wood or fiber with a loose fit and is not adjacent the oil seal and therefor subject to wear and sometimes lost. A journal hearing or brass 16 is interposed between the axle journal and the top of the box and is held by a wedge 17. The journal axle is prevented from lateral movement by the journal fillet 18 on the inner portion of the axle journal and a collar 19 on the outer end thereof. The inner end of the bearing journal has an outwardly extending circular flanged portion 20 which engages against a shoulder 21 of the journal box and the wedge 17 has an inner end engaging against said flange and its outer end engaging against a shoulder 22 near the outer portion of the journal box as best illustrated in Fig. 2.

The structure thus far described is substantially similar to the conventional form of railway car journal box, except for slightly downwardly extending flanges 23 and 24 on the inner sides 25 and 26 of the walls of the journal box at substantially midway of the axle journal forming battles for a purpose later described. This conventional construction at the bottom of the journal box is usually packed with oil soaked absorbent material which is positioned to the underside of the journal so that, upon rotation of the journal, oil is carried thereby to lubricate the surfaces of the journal and bearings. There have been attempts to use an oil bath in which the journal runs but these devices have not proven satisfactory. They require fastening to the journal box or axle and are not satisfactory for easy placement and replacement of the trays or reservoirs for the purpose desired. In the present invention the waste is eliminated and the reservoir may be inserted through the door opening of the journal box and lubricant supplied thereto so as to provide direct contact of the axle journal in said lubricant to lubricate the moving parts.

Referring specifically to the reservoir or tray 1 the device is preferably made of neoprene rubber or other plastic or resilient material having a bottom 27 rounded as indicated at 23 forming side walls 29 and 30, a front end 31 and a rear end 32. The rear end 32 is cut away as indicated at 33 and is substantially cylindrical in form to engage against the lower portion 34 and up along the side of the journal axle 8 to form a tight seal to prevent escape of the lubricant 35 from the chamber 36 of the reservoir. The opening 33 in the rear end of the reservoir is ribbed as indicated at 36 and reinforced by a plurality of spring steel wires 37 to urge the end or hearing portion of the opening against the journal axle as best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. This bearing surface as indicated by the ribs 36 is the only part of the reservoir which engages against the journal axle when the device is in use. The cylindrical portion 33 of the tray is made slightly smaller than the circumference of the axle journal to provide a tight seal and also to compensate for wear. The seal will thus fit either new or used journals. The body of the reservoir is also reinforced by a plurality of spring steel wires 37' running transversely of the reservoir as best illustrated in Fig. 2 to also lend rigidity to the structure and retain the shape of the reservoir yet allowing for flexibility.

With the thickened end walls as indicated at 38 and the plurality of bearing ribs 36' the structure will sustain itself so that the axle journal will remain sealed at all times against escape of lubricant or the ingress of foreign material to the reservoir, thus providing for easy placement of the tray through the door opening and thus efiecting saving of time and labor. Spring steel straps 3 and 4b are provided having their ends 4-1 and 42 pivotally mounted to the rear end 32. of the reservoir by a rivet or the like 43. The straps extend entirely underneath the reservoir toward the front end thereof and extend upwardly along the front end 31 and through brackets or loops 4-4 and 45 secured to the upper edge of the end 31 by rivets'or the like d6. One of the inner edges 47 and 47' of the straps are provided with teeth 48 and 49 adapted to engage in notches i and 51 formed on the inside walls 52 and 53 of the brackets 44 and 45 so that the straps may be held in adjusted position with respect to the reservoir. Pivoted to the free ends of the straps '39 and 40 by rivets or the like 54 and 55 are links 56 and 57. The links are pivoted together by a rivet 58 positioned near the free end of the link 57 and pivoted to the link 56 at a point spaced fromthe free end 59. A lug 60 extends outwardly from one side of the link 56 and is adapted to engage in a groove 61 in the upper edge of the link 57 to retain the links in locked position when the reservoir is in place in the journal box and the straps adjusted to the desired position.

In assembling a lubricant reservoir as above described the links are loosened as shown in the position in Fig. 1 and the tray is inserted through the door opening 3 so that the rear end 32, and particularly the bearing surfaces 36, engage against the lower and side surfaces of the axle journal 8 adjacent the journal fillet 18 as best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 The upper side edges 60 and 61 of the reservoir will engage the underneath surfaces of the edges of the flanges 23 and 24 on the inner walls of the journal box as best illustrated in Fig. 4. The links 56 and 57 are then looked in position as shown in Fig. 6 and the strap members 39 and 40 pushed downwardly so the inner bearing end of the reservoir will engage the underneath side of the journal axle near the journal fillet 18 of the axle journal and the lower sides of the straps will contact the bottom 62 of the box as best illustrated in Fig. 2. The straps may also engage against the forward end of the box as indicated at 63 and the straps locked in the desired adjusted position by contact of the teeth on the straps with the notches in the brackets as illustrated in Fig. 6 so that the tray or reservoir will be suspended within the journal box. The lubricant 35 may be admitted to the chamber'36 of the reservoir through the space 64 between the end 65 of the axle journal and the end 31 of the tray. The downwardly slopin flanges 23 and 24 act as baffles to prevent the lubricant 35 from splashing over the side edges of the tray.

It wfll be obvious that an important object of the invention is that the end and sides of the axle journal will be in full View for inspection at all times and additional lubricant may be supplied to the reservoir as desired upon raising of the lid 4 covering the opening 30 in the journal box and it will also be obvious that the reservoir tray may be readily removed from the box without dismantling of any parts thereof.

It will further be obviousfrom the foregoing that the invention provides a novel and useful tray for maintaining lubrication of the car truck journals without being fastened to any parts of the journal box and which provides ready placement thereof as desired without taking down the box or the journal or other parts of the structure. The structure also insures complete lubrication of the moving parts Without danger of becoming overheated.

What I claim and desire by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a railway car journal box having an axle journal and a journal bearing associated therewith, a lubricant retaining reservoir formed from a resilient material in said box and containing a supply of lubricant therein in contact with said axle journal, a portion of said reservoir in embracing relation with a portion of said axle journal, and straps secured to one end of said reservoir having body portions engaging the bottom of the reservoir and having their opposite ends curved to conform to the shape of the reservoir, means on the other end of the reservoir for locking said straps thereto for retaining said portion of the reservoir in sealing relation with said axle journal and said reservoir suspended in said box.

2. In combination with a railway car journal box having an axle journal and a journal bearing associated therewith, a lubricant retaining reservoir formed from a resilient material in said box and containing a supply of lubricant therein in contact with said axle journal, said reservoir having a thickened rear end providing a bearing seal with a portion of said axle journal, and straps secured to one end of said reservoir having body portions engaging the bottom of the reservoir and having their opposite ends curved to conform to the shape of the reservoir, means on the other end of the reservoir for locking said straps thereto for retaining said portion of the reservoir in sealing relation with said axle journal and said reservoir suspended in said box.

3. In combination with a railway car journal box having an axle journal having a journal fillet at its inner end and a journal bearing associated herewith, a lubricant reservoir formed from a resilient material in said box and containing a supply of lubricant therein in contact with said axle journal, said reservoir having a body portion with its rear end thickened and cut away to form a bearing seal for engagement with the lower portion of said axle journal near the said journal fillet, said reservoir having a bottom and side walls and a front end, metal straps having ends secured to the rear end of said body member of the reservoir and extending thereunder and engaging the bottom of said journal box, brackets on the forward end of said reservoir through which said straps extend, links pivotally secured to the ends of said straps having connection with each other for locking said links together, and means on said brackets and said straps for holding the straps in the desired position for suspending said reservoir within the journal box.

' 4. In combination with a railway car journal box having ,an axle journal having a journal fillet at its inner end and a journal bearing associated therewith, a lubricant reservoir formed from a resilient material in. said box and containing a supply of lubricant therein in contact with said axle journal, said reservoir having a body portion with its rear end thickened and cut away to form a bearing seal for engagement with a lower portion of said axle journal, said reservoir having a bottom and side walls and a front end and reinforcing means embedded in the walls of said reservoir adjacent the bearing surface and transversely of the body thereof, and metal straps having ends secured to the rear end of said body member of the reservoir and extending thereunder and engaging the bottom of said journal box, brackets on the forward end of said reservoir through which said straps extend links pivotally secured to the ends of said straps having connection with each other for locking said links together and means on said brackets and said straps for holding the straps in the desired position for suspending said reservoir within the journal box.

5. In combination with a railway car journal box having an axle journal having a journal fillet at its inner end and a journal bearing associated therewith, a lubricant reservoir formed from a resilient material in said box and containing a supply of lubricant therein in contact with said axle journal, said reservoir having its rear end cut away forming a bearing seal for engagement with a lower portion of the axle journal adjacent said journal fillet, baflies extending along the inner Walls longitudinally of said box at about the vertical center thereof, said reservoir having a bottom and side walls and a front end,

means secured to the rear end of the reservoir and ex-' tending underneath thereof towards the front end and engaging the bottom of said box, and means on the front end of the reservoir engaging said first named means for exerting tension on the bearing seal and urging the upper 6 edges of the side walls of the reservoir in contact with said baffles and return said lubricant to said reservoir.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 586,564 Patten July 20, 1897 1,285,060 Daley Nov. 19, 1918 1,510,377 Blose Sept. 30, 1924 1,885,586 Bryan et al Nov. 1, 1932 2,211,295 Searles et al. Aug. 13, 1940 2,534,045 Massey Dec. 12, 1950 2,670,998 Barber Mar. 2, 1954 

